John Munt
John Munt is a wizard, con-man and occultist treasure hunter with a penchant for sarcasm and dirty tactics. John is ruthless, treacherous, unpredictable and willing to go to any lengths to find magic items and keep them from falling into the wrong hands. Personality John Munt is an occultist treasure hunter, con-man and foul-mouthed cynic who pursues a life of wizardry and danger. It's something akin to an adrenaline junkie, though with John, his addicition can only be sated by the weird, the mysterious and the occult. Sarcastic and blunt to the point of rudeness, John has a tendency to cross the wrong people and is just as adept at making enemies as he is at making friends. Despite his cynicism, John is a surprisingly compassionate mortalist. He manages to avoid influence from denizens of either the celestiel or infernal planes. choosing instead to side with mortalkind and the Material Plane. Though often selfish and cold, John's main fight is one of balance. He has seen firsthand what the corrupting influence of magic can do to people, so he struggles to maintain the cosmic balance, collecting lore and magical artifacts so that no one mage grows too powerful. But that is where his "heroic streak" begins and ends. To achieve his ends, there is little John won't do. He views the people around him as commodities, valued by traits he judges to be useful or not. His primary goal is to look out for "number one" and will double-cross people who trust him if it helps him get what he wants. John is always looking for the best deals and is willing to work anyone--good, neutral or evil--to get it. He is constantly teetering on the edge between good and evil, rebelling and bending the law to fit his needs. History John Christopher Munt was born to Richard and Gretta Munt in the port city of Arabel in northern Spira. John was the younger of two children and grew up in a bad part of the city, raised more by the dockworkers and barmaids than his own parents. His father, a former adventurer and prize-fighter, was an abusive drunk who frequently struck his sister, his mother and John himself. John, a small child for his age, was never able to fight back and could only watch at his father's violent, bitter rampages. On Kalesmas Eve of 2691, when John was eleven years old, his father beat his sister to death. Outraged, John struck back but his father easily bested him. That night, John swore to avenge his sister. It wasn't long after this that John met an old, wandering mage who, through circumstances John has never fully explained, agreed to teach him about the arcane arts. John practiced and by the time he was eighteen years old, had mastered several basic cantrips and rituals. He was particularly potent at hexes and one night, as his father struck out at his mother, John stepped in and leveled his father with a barrage of spells. He ended his magical assault by placing a particularly nasty jinx on the man--one of gruesome potency that trapped his father forever within its own, dying, agonizing husk. His mother, horrified by John's actions, drove him out and made him swear to never return. After this incident, he left Arabel forever, vowing to never return. He hit the road as traveling con-man and grifter, picking up little magical trinkets and bits of arane lore. He eventually met back up with his old mentor, who had begun to pursue a magical artifact known as the Book of Vile Darkness, and had begun research to transform himself into a Lich. John tried to stop him but was easily overpowered. John had witnessed the corrupting nature of dark magic and made a decision to find the Book of Vile Darkness and stops his mentor from becoming powerful enough to shake the multiverse. He broadened his travels, worked on his grifts and his spells, and spent several years researching magical items and old rituals. By early 2848, John began his journey in earnest. It's known that he found a few very old spellbooks and scrolls, as well as some minor magical trinkets that he sold or traded for information. At some point in winter of that year, John spent some time in Gambon, where he lost an enchanted ring in a game of chance and ran afoul of Roark, leader of the Low-Rollers. He conned the great trickster, and for this, John found himself with a sizable bounty on his head. As a result, he left Spira and spent a few months in Avistan before he caught whispers of a Carpet of Flying somewhere on the island of Cornaecia. With a glint in his eye, John forged a new identity--that of writer George Milton--and stole a ticket for a ship bound for the island, unaware that this trip would change his life forever. Notable Accomplishments * "Won" in the Race for the Star; John found the Star and recovered it, returning it to the Church of Boccob. * Successfully led a party to Shardmind Outpost to reconnect Harold. Notable Victories * Big Kuo-Toa Warrior * Unlucky Luca * Castor Relationships with Others 'Reshe ' Reshe was the first ally John made among the group and the halfling bard is consistently one of the only people who seems to have any faith in John or agree with John's theories or priorities. They often work together and tend to partner up whenever someone has the daft idea to split the party. John respects Reshe's tenacity, his cleverness, his skill and his mischievous nature. Due to recent events (see Unlucky Luca, below) John has told Reshe his real name and about the bounty on his head by Roark, and has gone to some lengths to ensure that when things go down, he'll have the Halfling at his side. Knowing this brings John a small measure of comfort because, despite his best efforts, Reshe is actually his friend. 'Bonaventure "Bones" Quinterre' Bones is probably the closest thing John has to a friend, outside maybe Reshe. The magician and the enigmatic voodoo witchdoctor have a something of a history together as psuedo-partners in crime, running cons and learning forbidden lore together. Yeah, it's true, John kind of screwed him out of a considerable sum of gold and the loss of a magic ring but there don't appear to be hard feelings between them. In fact, since they met up again, they've worked together often and have agreed to help each other with their mutual Roark problem, since they're in the same boat in that regard. That doesn't mean he trusts old Bonesy, no sir. And he knows Bones isn't stupid enough to trust him, either. Probably why they're friends. 'Old Tiblet' John has a soft-spot for the weird old hobo he hired off the street to assist him in recovering the Fallen Star for the Church of Boccob. In spite of...well, everything, Tiblet not only survived the whole ordeal, but he did so as John's head of security. As time goes on, John has started to feel slightly responsible for Old Tiblet, going so far as to arrange a job and room & board for him. 'Brother Kleiner' John isn't much for religion, but Kleiner is his kind of priest: shady, brilliant and utterly mad. As time passes, however, he's started to suspect ulterior motives of the mad scientist. For the time being, however, Kleiner remains one of John's most valuable contacts and resources. 'Sinome Nailo' Sinome seems to be one of the only people in the group nowadays beside Reshe that doesn't seem to have something up their ass. He admires her headstrong attitude and the way she'll stubbornly stick by her convictions. You don't see that a lot anymore. He also admires her independence; she was willing to let an entire town fall to ruin and take a sacred relic of her whole race just so she didn't have to get married to a bloke she didn't like. That takes guts. During adventurs, John tends to use his protective wards on Sinome as well as himself, indicating that he may be beginning to see her as a legitimate friend. Not that he'd tell her that. 'Thorn' To put it mildly, John is not fond of Thorn. The two often bicker and they never quite see things eye-to-eye. Despite how often they find themselves working together, they're reluctant allies at best. Thorn often (rightly) suspects John of ulterior motives, although John has been able to play up his more trusting side and swindle him into an adventure or two. John may be an arrogant bastard, but he's not stupid; Thorn's skills as a tracker and archer are among the best he's seen, and it's very much in John's best interest to keep Thorn alive: despite their differences, John understands that he's going to need Thorn for his future plans. 'Norma' John thinks the tiefling cleric of Pelor is kind of a stick in the mud, but for whatever reason, he's actually somewhat fond of her. She's got the gut to stand by her convictions and for that reason alone, he has a modicum of respect for her. 'Jah Weh' Well...he's a half-orc? And...a friend of Reshe's? I don't know, John doesn't know him very well, so he couldn't really care less about the guy or what happens to him. 'Sister Alapa' John and Alapa have a sort of friendly relationship, as she often assists him in finding scrolls and other various tomes in the Church of Boccob's Library. After survivng the Dinner Party together, John has taken a special interest in Alapa and is considering seducing her. 'Ravanor Nax' When they first met, John simply didn't care about what happened to the Dragonborn. As time has passed, however, John has come to find Nax to his most reliable ally, next to Reshe. He's pretty sure he's on the dragonborn's good side and the two can often be found together between adventures or during group scenes. There is a strangely honorable side to Nax and, while John enjoys a good drink and a joke at someone else's expense with him, he trusts him about as far as he can toss him. Unlike the rest of the group, he sees him less as the "violent-but-goofy" comic relief and more as a violent, obnoxiously loud liability. Nax has a penchant for brutality that is going to get him into trouble one day and John just hopes he's not around the day it does. 'Kellen' John has a mutual respect for the wood elf paladin of Fharlanghn. For a paladin, the guy is surprisingly chill and for whatever reason that John really doesn't understand (but is ready to exploit) Kellen seems to have taken an interest in John's adventures and often appears inexplicably at the last moment in order to help them out. John is beginning to think Kellen has a way with luck like John himself does, including the uncanny knack for being right where he needs to be, precisely when he needs to be there. When John leaves the island, he's planning on inviting Kellen along. 'Harold C. Shardmindson' Ever since John, Reshe & Nax decided to Frankenstein Harold back to life, the soldier/slave/beat poet has proven to be both a useful tool and a fun chum to chuckle with. John added a little extra something to the animation ritual that caused Harold to be ultimately loyal to him above the others (except Nax, though that's a long story), and while he more or less trusts Harold, a part of him is wary about Harold's possible ulterior motives within the group, especially what he believes to be Harold's true loyalty: The Church of Boccob. 'Brother Finwin' This happy little halfling is truly good and content with life's simple pleasures. There's something with that kind of contentment that John really admires. For some inexplicable reason, Brother Finwin is one of the few people who John really hopes survives all of their adventures and plans on offering the little guy a job once he's ready to leave Cornaecia. 'Raoul' This red mage (as John refers to him) is skilled in both arcane and divine magic, thus, is particularly useful. And really, that's the extent of John's feelings toward Raoul: he's useful. A tool for him and his group to exploit until they run him into the ground. He has no problem letting Raoul tackle dangerous situations and wouldn't care one way or another if something happened to him in the meantime. 'Ankano' Fuck this guy. Seriously. 'Unlucky Luca' John's history with the thief known as Unlucky Luca was tenuous at best--until the son of a bitch sold him out. While John used to see Luca as lazy and unreliable, the rogue soon cmade his way into John's crosshairs when Luca directed a group of bounty hunters toward him. Bounty hunters working for Roark, the man John was running from. After that, all bets were off. After being held captive by Harold for a few days, John finally killed the thief in what is arguably the most morally questionable thing he has ever done. And you know what? John's glad the bastard's dead. 'Brother August the Blessed' A tad long-winded, John is amused by the half-elf cleric. He seems like an alright guy, so John doesn't really feel too strongly about him one way or the other. 'Granklin' John finds the dwarf barbarian's drunken antics very amusing. He knows that Granklin is not the sharpest knife in the drawer but he also wouldn't bet against him in a fight. 'Father Sprik Canterby' The founder and leader of Cornaecia's Church of Garl Glittergold, John only recently met him but he thought that Sprik and his wife were adorable together. He feels inexpicably saddened by Sprik's loss and took it upon himself to devote much of his free time to hunting down his wife's murderer; the entity known only as Castor. In the end, it was John who defeated and bound the creature and he feels a profound sense of pride and satisfaction at having avenged the little gnome. 'Yogurt, Attorney at Law' John was amused by the gumpy half-elf, enough so that he invited him along to help them fight the Green Dragon Hloire. What John didn't know was that not only was Yogurt a Warlock who'd sold his soul to a demon, but he was also apparently a sociopath. Yogurt helped, sure, but he was a little...weird. And strangely violent. John blinded him so that he couldn't follow them to Cornaecia, but he's pretty sure now that he's going to have to stop Yogurt someday, too. Powers and Abilities John has a number of skills and training, both magical and mundane. Arcane Knowledge John has spent a great deal of time studying the arcane arts and many occult, magical traditions and lore. He is talented in the use of spells and rituals, and knowledgable about many ancient rites, magical items, monsters and forgotten bits of lore. * Abjuration: John's arcane specialty is the School of Abjuration, which is the art of using magic that provides protection, defense, wards and the ability to alter or cancel out the magical energy of other spells. He can weave the energy of abjuration magic when he casts a spell to create a defensive ward, which absorbs the brunt force of attacks. The way John sees it, wielding Abjuration magic gives him power over other mages, making him a real nasty piece of work. * Arcane Recovery: '''Through intense focus and meditation, John is able to recover some of the magical energy he's already expending, which enables him to cast more spells. * '''Occult Lore: John is very well-versed in lore about monsters, spells and magical items. He has been shown to have a great deal of knowledge about things other characters do not, such as his apparently broad knowledge of the Shardmind, for example. * Lucky: John has a great deal of luck--more so than anybody has a right to be. John's almost supernatural luck has gotten him out of many situations he should not have walked away from. Additionally, his luck seems to surpass simple chance; he has a knack for being exactly where he needs to be, precisely when he needs to be there. * Ritual Casting: '''Through his years of study, John is capable of wielding magic through means of performing magical rites and rituals. He is very adept at these. * '''Spellcasting: '''John is capable of casting a wide variety of spells, even those not normally learned or performed by wizards; he possesses knowledge of dark magic, such as the Arms of Hadar. He is skilled in their use and is capable of casting them in high-stress environments, such as combat. His spells tend to focus more on keeping himself standing and out of tight situations (Misty Step, Charm Person, Mage Armor, et cetera) than causing damage, transforming elements or summoning creatures. Mundane Skills * '''Deception: John is a very skilled con-man, gambler, thief, cheater and liar. * Disguises: He is very skilled at disguising himself using various accents, make-up, wigs and costumes. * Forgery: Being in his line of work, John is very skilled at forging identification, ledgers and other forms of documentation. * Insight: John has a particular knack for seeing past people and judging their intentions and trustworthiness. He's got a good gut for people. * Investigation: '''Very perceptive and possessing a keen intellect, John is a very capable detective and investigator. He is quick to spot tiny details and is talented at connecting the dots in any mystery. * '''Multilingual: John speaks Common, Imperial, Elven, Low Draconic, Necril, Karatan, Orc, Sylvan and Undercommon. * Persuasion: Diplomatic when he needs to be, John has a silver tongue and is capable of sweet-talking his way out of most tough spots. * Sleight of Hand: John is a skilled pick-pocket and cheat due to his training and natural talent at sleight of hand. He most often uses this skill in his various grifts and when cheating at gambling. Paraphernelia * Dagger of Spell-Storing: This dagger has a blade made of mysterious crystal that John suspects has a connection to the Shardmind people. The blade is capable of storing the magical energy of spells, allowing him to save it and use it later. The dagger can hold one such spell at a time, and John typically prepares Counterspell in this way, though this sometimes changed depending on the circumstances. * Bracers of Spell-Storing: 'These bracers, which don't cover much more than his wrists, are made of a special, flexible elven material that ancient arcanists of the eastern realm once used to store spell energy in the weave of the material. Like his Dagger, he is capable of imprinting magical energy on his gauntlets, allowing him to save the spell and use it later. Also like his dagger, he can only store one spell at a time per gauntlet. Unlike his dagger, the weave of these bracers bond with their owner, thus enabling them to hold much more potent latent energy; they can store any spell John is capable of casting. He typically prepares some combination of ''Counterspell and Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound, though this might change from time to time depending on the circumstances. * '''Depost Slip for a Faraway Bank: John won this strange slip in a game of cards several years ago. It bears the number #0479 on one side and seems to belong to a safety deposit box in a faraway bank. * Sentinel Sphere: John found this item, which resembles a silver cue ball, on the body of a dead adventurer during the Race for the Star. When activated, this sphere magically scans an area for any sentient lifeforms within 120 feet, even invisible ones. * Underdark Cigarette: This cigarette has dark, sickly-colored tobacco and is wrapped in grey paper. It is touched with a deadly, incredibly potent underdark poison. Anybody who smokes the cigarette and inhales the smoke is almost certain to die. A nifty little trinket, if John says so himself. * Stupid Lightbulb Thing: The only one of the philosopher's inventions to survive his being mauled by green dragon wyrmlings, this dumb thing is a lightbulb. It lights up. That's all it does. * Mwangi Jumping Goat: This goat is carved from wood. When wound, it leaps up small ledges, like a reverse slinky. * Assassin's Poison: This potent poison, turned clear by the alchemist Guin's intervention, can be ingested (probably via a tampered drink) and will most likely kill the drinker. He's only got one dose, so he's saving it until it counts. * Potion of Phasing: This potion, which is a dull yellow and smells of wet leather, allows John to be able to walk through walls as if they weren't there. The only catch is he can only walk through, like, three walls before the magic wears off. * Meteor Sliver: John broke off a small sliver of meteor rock from the Fallen Star he recovered before he gave it back to the Church of Boccob. * Spellbook: 'John has a spellbook that he has carried with him for nearly a decade. It contains all of the instructions on how to cast his various spells and rituals. It currently holds: ** (0) ''Prestidigitation, Shocking Grasp, Blade Ward, Mage Hand, Mending ''and ''Eldritch Blast ** (1)'' Magic Missile, Illusory Script, Charm Person, Mage Armor, Protection from Evil & Good, False Life, Arms of Hadar, Shield, Identify, Hellish Rebuke'' and Cure Wounds ** (2) Augury, Misty Step, Mirror Image, Blindness/Deafness, Detect Thoughts, See Invisibility and Knock. ** (3) Counterspell, Lightning Bolt, Dispel Magic, Fly, Gaseous Form, Blink ** (4) Banishment, Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound Weaknesses * '''Arrogant: John is very confident and cocky, though he might be a little more confident than he deserves to be. Despite his cunning and resourcefulness, John often bites off more than he can chew. * Greedy: '''Due to his selfish nature, John has a tendency to hoard and be a little greedy in the field, especially when it comes to magic items. Notes * Played by Aaron Ruge. * Currently has 641gp, 20 sp and 7cp. Themes * John's Theme. * John's Battle Theme (1) The Twelve Items * The Book of Vile Darkness '(To Destroy) * ''Sphere of Annihilation ''(To Hide) * Rod of Lordly Might * Robe of the Archmagi * ''Ring of Three Wishes (To Hide) * Daern's Iron Fortress * Mirror of Life Trapping (To Hide, after trapping something/someone powerful) * Iron Flask * Amulet of the Planes * Dimensional Shackles * Deck of Many Things (To Hide) * Cubic Gate (To Hide) Trivia * John is a chain-smoker and prefers cheap ales and beers to expensive whiskeys or bourbon. * Has a particular fondness for cats. * Possesses a fear of deep water. * John dislikes being called a Wizard, instead opting for "Magician" or "Arcane Dabbler". * Despises Gnome music and opera. * An avid reader, John is very well-read and always carries books with him to read in his free time. * John loves plays and concerts (apart from opera). He'll go out of his way to attend any play or concert that he comes across, if he can manage it. * John has a list of twelve magical items that he's keeping an especially keen eye out for. His aim for most of these items are either to destroy them or hide them where no mage can abuse their power. * His various aliases include: writer/historian George Milton and Father Clay Haggard of the Church of Kord. Category:PCs Category:Human Category:Imperial Category:Chaotic Neutral Characters Category:Wizard Category:Abjurors Category:Cornaecia Campaign Category:Native of the Material Plane Category:Spiran Category:Ruge's Characters